The Hybrid Shop Expands to Commercial

March 8, 2019—The Hybrid Shop plans to enter the commercial electric vehicle (EV) market and has tapped Tom Gage, an innovator in electric propulsion technologies since the 1990s, to lead the way.

“The commercial vehicle market is the next logical step in the commercialization of fully electric drivetrains,” Gage told dealers during a meeting at The Hybrid Shop headquarters in Torrance, Calif., in February. “Battery cost reduction and increasing reliability and range mean that operating cost benefits will soon make electric trucks irresistible to commercial fleet managers.”

Gage traces his expertise in commercializing electric vehicles to 1995 when joined Alan Cocconi at AC Propulsion Co., according to The Hybrid Shop. Gage and Cocconi developed the tzero electric sports car. The tzero inspired Martin Eberhard to found Tesla Motors, which, in 2018, delivered 80 percent of the EVs sold in the United States.

Gage went on to found EV Grid Inc. to develop battery systems for vehicles, microgrid, and renewable energy storage. EV Grid works with automotive original equipment manufacturers and commercial site operators to develop battery systems that reduce cost and improve efficiency.

“Joining forces with The Hybrid Shop is a great fit because they are addressing a huge market that already exists—hybrid vehicle batteries,” said Gage.

As the commercial market develops through vehicles like Hino-195H, The Hybrid Shop says it has plans in place to ramp-up efforts to build out a commercial network of dealers to service the segment.